Bulldogs excited about new season

By Tom Dodge
tom.dodge@eunicetoday.com
IOTA – With just four wins over their first three years, first-year head coach Josh Andrus is positive his seniors are hungry to see improvement in the final football season.
The Bulldogs’ last win was on Nov. 2, 2012, a 35-6 victory over Mamou to finish 4-6 overall.
Since then, Iota has suffered consecutive 0-10 seasons, including last year when Andrus served as offensive corridinator for fomer head coach Neal Lege.
“We only have eight seniors,” Andrus said. “They have gone through the roughest stretch ever of Iota football.
“I commend them for sticking it out over their careeers,” the coach said. “No one likes to lose that many games, but they are still here working hard.”
Andrus said their desire to finish as winners will show on the field.
“We need to stay positive and work to improve,” Andrus said. “We want them to learn from their mistakes.”
The 20-straight losses were on their minds during the off-season and should prove as motivation, according to the coach.
“We had good attendence for summer workouts,” Andrus said. “They got after all summer.”
Andrus said with 53 players on the roster, he is hopeful to have mostly one-way players on defense.
“We will be able to do more and be aggressive on defense,” the coach said. “We will still be young wth a lot of sophomores and juniors, but they played a lot last year.”
Andrus said there will seven or eight sophomores starting on offense, but he is excited about their potential.
“We will go through growing pains, especially with a freshman quarternack (Trae Rambin) but he has guys surrounding him who will help.”
Iota faces Jennings, Westlake, Iowa, St. Louis and South Beauregard in District 4-3A.
“It is a tough district,” Andrus said. “By the time we get to district I want us to be able to compete and have a chance in the fourth quarter.
“If we have a chance late, then I think the guys are learning to fight from the kickoff until the end of the game.”
The banner proclaiming the 1999 state championship is fading on the scoreboard, but Andrus understands what football means to the Iota community.
“We want to bring back the fight in the Bulldogs,” he said. “I understand the Iota tradition and we want the wins to come back.”
Iota will scrimmage at Westminster Christian on Aug. 20 before facing Church Point in the Acadia Parish jamboree at Crowley on Aug. 27.
The Bulldogs open the season at home against Sacred Heart of Ville Platte on Sept. 4.
Other non-district games include St. Edmund, Lake Arthur, Welsh and Kinder.